Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: The Government of India assigned Aluminium Pechiney of France to prepare the feasibility report for use of the bauxite to set up an Aluminium complex and they identified Panchpatmali located 30 km east of Koraput in Orissa as the ideal location for it.

Nalco is now the largest integrated Alumina-Aluminium complex in Asia, has a technical collaboration with the renowned Aluminium Pechiney of France, registered at London Metal Exchange, has achieved ISO 9001-2000 and 14001 certification and is a Navaratna company with Five Star Export House status as well.

Not content with these achievements, Nalco is planning a vigorous programme of self-propelled growth and expansion.

After successfully completing its first and second phase expansion with investments of Rs 3,600 crore and Rs 4,092 crore respectively it is now planning the third phase of expansion involving an investment of Rs 6,000 crore.

The impact of the expansions is reflected in capacity of the Bauxite mines which went up from the original 24 lakh million tonnes to 48 lakh MT and then to 63 lakh MT.Similarly, the increase in the refinery capacity was 8 lakh MT to 15.75 lakh MT and then to 21 lakh MT. The smelting capacity went up from 2.3 lakh MT to 3.45 lakh MT and then to 4.6 lakh MT.

The Captive Power Plant started with 600 MW capacity, went up to 960 MW after first expansion and then to 1200 MW after second expansion. The third phase of expansion is expected to boost the capacities still further.

The company is reaching out into newer areas and getting into newer businesses too.For example it is setting up a bauxite mine of 42 lakh tonnes capacity and aluminium refining capacity of 14 lakh tonnes in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore, a 5-lakh tonne smelter and a 1,260-MW power plant at Jharsuguda with an investment of Rs 16,500 crore, a 5 lakh tonne smelter and 1250 MW power plant in Indonesia with an investment of Rs 16,500 crore and a 3.1 lakh tonne smelter in Iran jointly with the local ALPHA group involving an investment of Rs 10,000 cr.Orissa has not been ignored either.

The company is setting up a Joint Venture Company (JVC) with Orissa government’s IDCO to set up an Aluminium Park on an area of 200 acres at Angul. This park will have downstream industries like castings, extrusions, plates, conductors, etc.

Nalco has also short listed two parties, after inviting Expression of Interest, to set up cement plants using the fly ash produced by its power plant.

The project involves an investment of Rs 300 crore. Many other projects involving backward integration are also on the anvil. In a novel experiment Nalco and Government of India owned Bharat Earth Movers Ltd have jointly developed a prototype Aluminium rail Wagon which is shortly going to be inspected by Research Designs and Standard Organisation. The extrusions and plates for the wagon have been supplied by Nalco.If successful, the experiment can bring about a major change in the economics of rail transport as alumimium rolling stock has several advantages like higher carrying capacity, lower weight and lower life cycle cost.